


He Can't Breathe

by orphan_account



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, I am so sorry, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-09
Updated: 2013-11-09
Packaged: 2017-12-31 23:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1037548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of a collection of works by viria and minuiko.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He Can't Breathe

Everything is a blur when it happens.  Nico is fighting a dead guy with half his armor missing, and Percy’s off to his left, laughing and blocking the blows of another skeleton hellbent on bringing both of them to Gaea.  

Nico freezes when he sees the soldier behind Percy.  Percy’s laughter stops when the dead man’s blade goes right through his chest.  His eyes widen, his mouth open in a shocked O.  

Nico screams.  He’s not sure how he kills the three skeletons, but they disintegrate into dust, their skulls grinning at him the whole time.  He drops to his knees beside Percy where he’s fallen on the rocks.  His blood smears the stone beneath him.

“No, you idiot, you can’t die on me like this!”  He’s begging, yelling at Percy, who’s gone frighteningly still and pale, his green eyes the only sign of life.  Percy, the asshole, has the gall to smile weakly.  

“Didn’t know you cared,” he whispers, his hand finding Nico’s.  

“Shut up, _shut up!"_  Nico cries, gripping Percy’s shoulders.  “You’re the son of Poseidon, for the love of god!”  He stops, tears threatening to fall.   _Poseidon_.

He pulls Percy into the water rushing past them, into the falls.  They’re being tugged at by the river, and it scares him that Percy’s not resisting, his dark hair swirling in the current.  The water’s turning red.

“Come on, do something!” he screams at the sky, the tears falling.  He gets no answer in return.

Percy’s grip on Nico’s shirt relaxes and his hand falls, with a splash, into the river.  Nico can feel the difference in the boy beneath him -- his soul is gone.

Finally, Nico cries.  He cries silently while he drags Percy’s body out of the river, but he’s gripping Percy’s shirt and closing the sea-green eyes when the body-racking sobs come.  He stays there for awhile.

It takes a long time to get back to the Argo II, with Percy over his shoulders and his wet clothes remaining damp under the gray sky.  Eventually, though, he looks up and he can see the huge gold ship there in front of him.  Hazel’s voice reaches him seconds later.

“Nico!  Thank gods you’re alive--” she stops, her hand over her mouth.  “Oh gods.”

“Percy!” Annabeth cries.  “Is he . . . ?”  She trails off.  Nico sinks to his knees and lays Percy down.  Without looking at Annabeth -- he can’t look at her, not with this news -- he shakes his head.

The sound she makes is not one he will ever forget.  It’s somewhere between a scream and a howl, and before he can blink she’s running, falling to her knees, running her fingers through Percy’s dampened black hair.  His blue t-shirt is soaked in blood.  Nico’s suddenly aware of the fact that Percy’s blood is smeared on his hands, his arms, his neck.  It stands out, bright red against his pale, pale skin.

Annabeth is wailing, getting blood in her hair, and Nico can’t see for the tears blurring his eyes.  He can feel Hazel’s arms around his shoulders, and he puts his head in his hands.  

 He can't breathe.


End file.
